It is often said that the rejected stone shall one day be the corner stone and perhaps that is the story of mercurial Hearts of Oak winger Daniel Afriyie Barnieh.

Kotoko will be the guest of Accra Hearts of Oak on Sunday in a fierce match day 31 clash that has been dubbed by many as the title decider.

But even before that Daniel Afriyie Barnieh could have been lining up for the reds but he was reject as he was deemed not good enough for Asante Kotoko by then coach Maxwell Konadu when he went for trials at the club.

Daniel Afriyie Barnieh scored several times in friendly matches while on trials at the Kumasi based club but was still deemed not ripe for Kotoko.

But Kotoko loss is now Hearts of Oak's gain as the Black Satellites captain has been a revelation for the club since the arrival of coach Samuel Boadu although his raw talents was glaring.

In an interview with Hearts TV, the AFCON U20 winner said “I went to Kumasi Asante Kotoko for a trial and was not successful, I came to Accra Hearts of Oak through my fellow player through Abdul Aziz Nurriden, am having the same manager so I was added to his negotiations but mine was to come and play for the coach to see whether I can fit into his team”.

The tricky winger is now a fan favourite with his breathtaking displays after initially struggling with his decision making and composure in front of goal as he has scored just a solitary goal all season although he has provided countless assists.

Hearts will count on the tricky winger to teach Kotoko what they are missing with the talented one that got away.

PHOTO OF AFRIYIE BARNIE IN A KOTOKO JERSEY: